Mine jack



J. H. SANTMYER MINE JACK Filed July 5.

v35 duction.

Patented Nova d, 192%,

hair stars MINE Application filed July 5,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB H. SANTMYER, citizen of the United States, residing at Uniontown, in the county ofFayette and 84 State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mine Jacks, of which the following'is a specification.

This invention relates to an. improvement in mine jacks particularly adapted for use in erectingthe top timbers in mining high .veins of coal.

In the practice now generally employed, the tops of the-tunnels are supported by horizontal timbers which are held in position by vertical struts and as timbers of the proper size and strength are very heavy and the miner is required to put them up alone, he is encouraged, even at the risk of his own life, to utilize only the lightest timbers which are unsafe and quite freq ently break down under the load of slate disposed thereabove. Thus since each miner is required to elevate and. support the top timbers entirely by his own rts it follows that this work is very slowly performed, and also-by select-- ing the lighter timbers in order to ease the work, a structure is, erected which does not embrace the maximum strength.

When the light structure breaks down it is then repaired by two or more timbermen who substitute strong timbers for the weaker ones which have failed,consequently increasing the cost-of operation and curtailing pro In an efi'ort to overcome the above mentioned difiiculties, mine jacks for supporting the top timbers have been heretofore devised, but all of these jacks as far as I am aware,

40 are provided with three or more supporting legs, and with a hand crank and ratchet arrangement for elevating the timber supporting head. A mine jack of this type is very objectionable because in some places the as 'acks have to be setin a very small space etween one of the walls of the tunnel and the tracks, and the spaced legs occupy entirelytoo much room for practical purposes. Quite frequently the floor of the tunnel is very uneven, and this. adds to the labor in setting up the jack, as well as increasing the time of setting up. Furthermore, mine jacks of this t e are more or less costly to manufacture. ith a ratchet type of mine jack it is necessary, whenever it is ;desired to JACK.

1923. Serial in. 649,773..

handled by the individual miner and also which is sufficiently strong to withstand the load of slate thereabove; capable of being readily transported so as to be successively employed in advance of each mining opera- 7 tion; adapted'to 'be readily positioned on uneven surfaces of the mine floor; provided with an actuating mechanism which will with certainty retain the load without thelatter being manually held back by the opt erator; extremely simple in construction and therefore, cheap to manufacture.

With the above and other objects in view which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, i the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure l is a side elevation of a mine jack constructed in accordance with my invention, the base being shown in section.

Figure 2 is an end elevation thereof, and

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the 1 line 33 of Figure 1.

In carrying the invention into efieet I have provided a mine jack having a strong supporting standard of approximately five feet in length whereby a top timber may be i readily positioned on the jack and subsequently elevated thereby to the required height, after which the vertical timbers for supporting the horizontal timbers may be readily positioned.

Tothat end, as shown in the accompanying drawings, I have provided a standard A which is preferably formed of opposed. channel bars 5 5 of metal, the channels facing each other so as to conjointly form a rectangular opening 6. The channel bars 55 are rigidly secured together by means. of clamp plates 7-7 which are secured to the respective flanges of the channel bars 5 by means of: bolts 8. The lower end of the t standard A is fitted into a correspondingly shaped rectangular opening or socket 9, formed in a solid molded base 10.

i )isposed within the standard A and movable longitudinally relative thereto is an elongated and preferably hollow screw 11, the lower end being flattened as shown at 12 to thereby fit within the. inner angles 13 of the standard A to freely slide therein without rotation relative to-said standard. The upper end of the screw 11 projects above the upper end of the standard A, and fixedly secured to said upper end is a horn 1 1 having an angular seat 15 for receiving the horizontal timber.

An actuating nut 16 bears against the upper end of the standard A and has threaded engagement with the screw 11. This nut is ovided with a plurality of actuating against longitudinal movements relative to the standard-A. during the rotation of said nut, I have provided a keeper 18 having a finger 19 atv its upper end for engagement within a peripheral groove 20 formed in the nut 16. This keeper, is secured by a screw 21 to a bracket 22 which embraces the standard A and-is'cl'am'ped thereto by means of bolts 23-23.-

. In operation, the miner lowers the head '14 to its lowermost position by means of the arms 17 and nut 16. A horizontal timber is then positioned within the seat 15 of the head 14. The nut 16 is then turned by meansof the arms 17 and the horizontal timber is-thus elevated to the required height. The vertical timbers are then positioned under the horizontal-timbers and the head 14 is lowered until said horizontal timber rests solidly on the vertical timbers.

It will be noted that by means of the screw and nut connection between the standard and the head I have provided an adjusting mechanism which is free from all danger of slipping and consequently danger to the minor is positively prevented. It will be noted that this jack is largely constructed of stock material and consequently the jack is not only simple in construction but is cheap to manufacture. By providing the solid base 10, the jack is adapted to be readily positioned on uneven ground with 'a minimum amount of labor and time, and within a minimum space.

. as? 17-47. i In order to retain the nut 16 I claim: 1. A jack of the class described compris- 'ing a base, complemental standard-forming channel bars, having their channel portions facing each other thereby to form a hollow standard, means forsecuring anduniting the. side flanges of the opposite channel members together, and a screw 'supporting- I and-carrying bracket arranged at the upper end of said channel members and constituting means for securing the upper ends of said members together.

2. A jack of the class described comprising a base having a socket, a pair of channel bars assembled with their open sides toward each other and having their lower ends fitting into and held together by said socket, plates attached-t0 the side flanges of said channel bars thereby to hold the same together, and a combined screw supporting and bar clamping member arranged at the upper end of said standard.

3. A jack of the class described comprising a standard including a pair of channel members assembled with the edges of the channel portion in meeting relation, a base receiving one end of said channel members, clamping plates for securing the medial portions of said channel members together and an inverted U-shaped bracket mounted at the top end of the said channel. members, and a screw operatively supported on said bracket.

4. A jack of the class described comprising I a standard including a pair of channel members assembled with the edges of the channel portion .in meeting relation, a base receiving one end of sai'd'channel members, clamping plates for securing the medial portions of said channel members together and an inverted U-shaped' bracket mounted at the top ends of. said channel members and the depending flanges thereof overlying the seam provided by the meeting edges of said channel members, bolts passing throu h said flanges and engaging the backs of said channels, and a screw opcratively supported on said bracket.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

, JACOB H. SANTMYER.

Witnesses:

FRANCIS B. CURRY, E. W. WILKINSON.

(ill 

